Diego Godin: I don’t know what what else Griezmann could have done differently

After missing out on the FIFA prize, the Uruguay international centre-back “hopes with all his heart” his club-mate wins the Ballon d’Or

Atletico Madrid captain Diego Godin does not understand how Antoine Griezmann was not nominated in the shortlist to win FIFA’s The Best award and hopes that the World Cup winner is given the recognition he deserves in the Ballon d’Or.

Mohamed Salah, Cristiano Ronaldo and eventual winner Luka Modric were the final three players in the running for the prestigious award, with Griezmann’s absence a major talking point.

The attacker won the Europa League with Atletico Madrid last term and the World Cup with France, and Godin is at a loss to explain how he could have been so overlooked.

“If we look at what he achieved in 2018, I think Antoine deserved to be there,” he told L’Equipe. “He won the Europa League and was the decisive player in the final, he won the World Cup and was also the best player in the final.

“I don’t see what else he could have done. Oh yes, win the European Super Cup! And he did that, too.”

Godin explained that Griezmann’s role in the squad goes beyond that of most forwards.

“It goes beyond scoring goals or making assists,” he explained. “Above all, he’s a team player who puts the collective before himself and who plays an important tactical function.

“He knows and feels what he has to do for the common good. He understands the game extremely well and makes the right decisions for others. What’s more, he’s got this intelligence to be in the right place on the field. He makes the difference.”

With this in mind, Godin has backed his club-mate for the Ballon d’Or, the shortlist for which will be revealed on October 8, with the winner declared on December 3.

“As a team-mate, as a captain and as a friend, I hope with all my heart that he wins it,” he said. “I know that it would make him really happy, and everyone at Atletico would share his happiness if that was the case.”

In the meantime, Godin, Griezmann and the remainder of the Atletico squad are preparing for a derby meeting with Real Madrid on Saturday at the Bernabeu.